DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 2/4/2026 has been entered. Currently, claims 1, 3-4, 6-11, 13-14 and 16-20 are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 14, 16 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Den Boer et al. in US 2017/0068362 (hereinafter DenBoer) in view of Nakamura et al. in US 2020/0343314 (hereinafter Nakamura).
Regarding claim 1, DenBoer disclose a capacitive touchpad (DenBoer’s Fig. 8-9 and par. 70), comprising: a substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 1, 9 and par. 94, 58: see 20, 30); a first sensing electrode layer (DenBoer’s par. 70-71: electrodes 84) including a plurality of first electrodes formed on the substrate module (DenBoer’s par. 70, 58); a second electrode layer (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70-71: electrodes 80) including a plurality of second electrodes formed on the substrate module (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70, 58), wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes form a touch sensing region of the capacitive touchpad (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70: region covered by 80 and 84), and the touch sensing region is divided into a plurality of sensing units (see Annotation 1 of DenBoer’s Fig. 9); and a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) dies mounted on the substrate module (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70: micro-LEDs 40), wherein each of the LED dies is arranged in one of the plurality of sensing units (see Annotation 1 of DenBoer’s Fig. 9), and each of the LED dies overlaps boundaries of one of the plurality of second electrodes and one of the plurality of first electrodes (DenBoer’s Fig. 9: see 40 in the space between electrode 80 and electrode 84 [boundary], e.g. bottom left LED 40), wherein the substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5: see 20 and 30) defines a normal direction and includes a plurality of substrates arranged along the normal direction (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5: see 20 and 30).
DenBoer fails to disclose the plurality of LED dies are disposed on one of the plurality of substrates that is defined as a first substrate, and the plurality of first electrodes are disposed on another one of the plurality of substrates other than the first substrate.
However, in the same field of endeavor of touch LED displays, Nakamura discloses a substrate module defines a normal direction and includes a plurality of substrates arranged along the normal direction (Nakamura’s Fig. 8 and par. 70-71: see substrates 1-3), a plurality of LED dies are disposed on one of the plurality of substrates that is defined as a first substrate (Nakamura’s Figs. 8-10 and par. 143, 145: see LED chip on substrate 2), and a plurality of touch electrodes are disposed on another one of the plurality of substrates other than the first substrate (Nakamura’s Figs. 4, 8 and par. 80, 83-85: see electrode 21 on substrate 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, that DenBoer’s LED dies are disposed in a substrate different from the substrate where the first electrodes are disposed (as taught by Nakamura), in order to obtain the benefit of attaching the LEDs directly on the display substrate (Nakamura’s par. 150: bond LED to reflective layer 89 on substrate 2, where 89 and 2 are equivalent respectively to 26 and 22 in DenBoer’s Fig. 1 per par. 60) as it appears to be the objective of DenBoer to avoid trapping the light in the air (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5 per par. 66).
By doing such combination, DenBoer in view of Nakamura disclose:
A capacitive touchpad (DenBoer’s Fig. 8-9 and par. 70), comprising:
a substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 1, 9 and par. 94, 58: see 20, 30 equivalent to substrates 1-3 of Nakamura’s Fig. 8);
a first sensing electrode layer (DenBoer’s par. 70-71: electrodes 84) including a plurality of first electrodes formed on the substrate module (DenBoer’s par. 70, 58: array of electrodes 84 formed on 30 and Nakamura’s Fig. 4: see 21 on substrate 1);
a second electrode layer (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70-71: electrodes 80) including a plurality of second electrodes formed on the substrate module (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70, 58: see 80 formed on 30 and Nakamura’s Fig. 4: see 22 on substrate 1), wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes form a touch sensing region of the capacitive touchpad (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70: region covered by 80 and 84), and the touch sensing region is divided into a plurality of sensing units (see Annotation 1 of DenBoer’s Fig. 9); and
a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) dies mounted on the substrate module (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70: micro-LEDs 40), wherein each of the LED dies is arranged in one of the plurality of sensing units (see Annotation 1 of DenBoer’s Fig. 9), and each of the LED dies overlaps boundaries of one of the plurality of second electrodes and one of the plurality of first electrodes (DenBoer’s Fig. 9: see 40 in the space between driving electrode 80 and sensing electrode 84 [boundary], e.g. bottom left LED 40);
wherein the substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5: see 20 and 30 equivalent to substrates 1-3 in Nakamura’s Fig. 8 per par. 70-71) defines a normal direction (Nakamura’s Fig. 8: see Z) and includes a plurality of substrates arranged along the normal direction (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5: see 20 and 30 equivalent to substrates 1-3 in Nakamura’s Fig. 8 per par. 70-71), the plurality of LED dies are disposed on one of the plurality of substrates that is defined as a first substrate (DenBoer’s Fig. 1: LEDs 40 are disposed on the display substrate 20 upon combination, where 40 and 20 are equivalent to CHIP and substrate 2 in Nakamura’s Figs. 8-10 per par. 143-145), and the plurality of first electrodes disposed on another one of the plurality of substrates other than the first substrate (DenBoer’s Fig. 9: electrodes 84 are disposed on substrate 30, where 84 and 30 are equivalent to wiring 21 and substrate 1 in Nakamura’s Figs. 4, 8 per par. 80, 83-85).
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Regarding claim 11, DenBoer disclose a capacitive touchpad (DenBoer’s Fig. 8 and par. 70), comprising: a substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 1, 9 and par. 94, 58: see 20, 30); a first electrode layer (DenBoer’s par. 70-71: electrodes 84) including a plurality of first electrodes formed on the substrate module (DenBoer’s par. 70, 58: array of electrodes 84 formed on 30);
a second electrode layer (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70-71: electrodes 80) including a plurality of second electrodes formed on the substrate module (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70, 58: see 80 formed on 30), wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes form a touch sensing region of the capacitive touchpad (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70: region covered by 80 and 84), and the touch sensing region is divided into a plurality of sensing units (see Annotation 2 of DenBoer’s Fig. 9); and a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) dies mounted on the substrate module (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70: micro-LEDs 40), wherein each of the LED dies is arranged in adjacent two of the plurality of sensing units (see Annotation 2 of DenBoer’s Fig. 9), and each of the LED dies overlaps boundaries of one of the plurality of second electrodes and two of the plurality of first electrodes adjacent the one of first electrodes (DenBoer’s Fig. 9: see 40 in the space between electrode 80 and two electrodes 84 [boundary] adjacent an electrode 80, e.g. second-from-left LED 40), wherein the substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5: see 20 and 30) defines a normal direction and includes a plurality of substrates arranged along the normal direction (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5: see 20 and 30).
DenBoer fails to disclose the plurality of LED dies are disposed on one of the plurality of substrates that is defined as a first substrate, and the plurality of first electrodes are disposed on another one of the plurality of substrates other than the first substrate.
However, in the same field of endeavor of touch LED displays, Nakamura discloses a substrate module defines a normal direction and includes a plurality of substrates arranged along the normal direction (Nakamura’s Fig. 8 and par. 70-71: see substrates 1-3), a plurality of LED dies are disposed on one of the plurality of substrates that is defined as a first substrate (Nakamura’s Figs. 8-10 and par. 143, 145: see LED chip on substrate 2), and a plurality of touch electrodes are disposed on another one of the plurality of substrates other than the first substrate (Nakamura’s Figs. 4, 8 and par. 80, 83-85: see electrode 21 on substrate 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, that DenBoer’s LED dies are disposed in a substrate different from the substrate where the first electrodes are disposed (as taught by Nakamura), in order to obtain the benefit of attaching the LEDs directly on the display substrate (Nakamura’s par. 150: bond LED to reflective layer 89 on substrate 2, where 89 and 2 are equivalent respectively to 26 and 22 in DenBoer’s Fig. 1 per par. 60) as it appears to be the objective of DenBoer to avoid trapping the light in the air (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5 per par. 66).
By doing such combination, DenBoer in view of Nakamura disclose:
A capacitive touchpad (DenBoer’s Fig. 8 and par. 70), comprising:
a substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 1, 9 and par. 94, 58: see 20, 30 equivalent to substrates 1-3 of Nakamura’s Fig. 8);
a first electrode layer (DenBoer’s par. 70-71: electrodes 84) including a plurality of first electrodes formed on the substrate module (DenBoer’s par. 70, 58: array of electrodes 84 formed on 30 and Nakamura’s Fig. 4: see 21 on substrate 1);
a second electrode layer (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70-71: electrodes 80) including a plurality of second electrodes formed on the substrate module (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70, 58: see 80 formed on 30 and Nakamura’s Fig. 4: see 22 on substrate 1), wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes form a touch sensing region of the capacitive touchpad (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70: region covered by 80 and 84), and the touch sensing region is divided into a plurality of sensing units (see Annotation 2 of DenBoer’s Fig. 9); and
a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) dies mounted on the substrate module (DenBoer’s Fig. 9 and par. 70: micro-LEDs 40), wherein each of the LED dies is arranged in adjacent two of the plurality of sensing units (see Annotation 2 of DenBoer’s Fig. 9), and each of the LED dies overlaps boundaries of one of the plurality of second electrodes and two of the plurality of first electrodes adjacent the one of first electrodes (DenBoer’s Fig. 9: see 40 in the space between electrode 80 and two electrodes 84 [boundary] adjacent an electrode 80, e.g. second-from-left LED 40),
wherein the substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5: see 20 and 30 equivalent to substrates 1-3 in Nakamura’s Fig. 8 per par. 70-71) defines a normal direction (Nakamura’s Fig. 8: see Z) and includes a plurality of substrates arranged along the normal direction (DenBoer’s Figs. 4-5: see 20 and 30 equivalent to substrates 1-3 in Nakamura’s Fig. 8 per par. 70-71), the plurality of LED dies are disposed on one of the plurality of substrates that is defined as a first substrate (DenBoer’s Fig. 1: LEDs 40 are disposed on the display substrate 20 upon combination, where 40 and 20 are equivalent to CHIP and substrate 2 in Nakamura’s Figs. 8-10 per par. 143-145), and the plurality of first electrodes disposed on another one of the plurality of substrates other than the first substrate (DenBoer’s Fig. 9: electrodes 84 are disposed on substrate 30, where 84 and 30 are equivalent to wiring 21 and substrate 1 in Nakamura’s Figs. 4, 8 per par. 80, 83-85).
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Regarding claims 4 and 14, DenBoer in view of Nakamura disclose wherein the plurality of first electrodes define a layout pattern having a plurality of hollow spaces (DenBoer’s Fig. 9: see spaces formed by diamonds 84 hollowed of electrodes), and the plurality of the LED dies are disposed in the plurality of hollow spaces (DenBoer’s Fig. 9: see 40 [e.g. at bottom row] between spaces formed by diamonds 84).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, DenBoer in view of Nakamura disclose further comprising a protective layer (Nakamura’s Figs. 4, 8: see 1 which acts as cover per par. 62), wherein the protective layer covers the first electrodes and the plurality of LED dies (Nakamura’s Fig. 8).
Regarding claims 9 and 19, DenBoer in view of Nakamura disclose wherein the substrate module includes a plurality of first circuits (DenBoer’s Fig. 2 and par. 60-61: see top conductor 70 to each LED 40) and a plurality of second circuits (DenBoer’s Fig. 2 and par. 60-61: see bottom conductor 70 to each LED 40) that are electrically coupled to the controller (DenBoer’s Fig. 2 and par. 62: see 50), the first circuits are respectively connected to the LED dies in a one-to-one manner (DenBoer’s Fig. 2: see one top 70 for each LED 40), and the second circuits are respectively connected to the LED dies in a one-to-one manner (DenBoer’s Fig. 2: see one bottom 70 for each LED 40).
Claims 3 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DenBoer in view of Nakamura as applied above, in further view of Tai in US 2010/0163317 (hereinafter Tai).
DenBoer in view of Nakamura disclose a controller (DenBoer’s Figs. 8, 11 and par. 62: see 50) that is electrically coupled to the first electrode layer (DenBoer’s Figs. 8-9, 11 and par. 72-73: see 84), the second electrode layer (DenBoer’s Figs. 8-9, 11 and par. 72-73: see 80), and the plurality of LED dies (DenBoer’s Figs. 8-9, 11 and par. 72: see 40) through the substrate module (DenBoer’s Figs. 8-9, 11: see 20, 30).
DenBoer in view of Nakamura fails to disclose wherein, when a coupling capacitor is generated from a conductor to at least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes, the controller is configured to drive at least one of the plurality of LED dies adjacent to the at least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes to emit light.
However, in the related field of endeavor of LEDs and touch sensing, Tai discloses when touch is detected at a touch sensor (Tai’s Figs. 2-3 and par. 35-37), a controller is configured to drive at least one of a plurality of LED dies at a position of detected touch to emit light (Tai’s par. 37: light emitting elements corresponding to the area at the touched position to emit light).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, that DenBoer in view of Nakamura’s controller would drive at least one LED die to emit light when detecting touch (as taught by Tai), in order to obtain the benefit of providing real-time interactivity (Tai’s par. 36).
By doing such combination, DenBoer in view of Nakamura and Tai disclose:
wherein, when a coupling capacitor is generated from a conductor to at least one of the plurality of first electrodes (Tai’s par. 35: capacitive touch which is equivalent to a mutual capacitance between electrodes 80 and 84 in DenBoer’s Figs. 8-9 per par. 70, 83), the controller is configured to drive at least one of the plurality of LED dies adjacent to the at least one of the plurality of first electrodes to emit light (Tai’s par. 35-37: light element 214 emits light according to touch position, which is equivalent to LED 40 emitting light adjacent to the touch positioned as detected by conductors 80/84 in DenBoer’s Figs. 8-9).
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DenBoer in view of Nakamura as applied above, in further view of Lo et al. in US 2019/0369794 (hereinafter Lo).
DenBoer in view of Nakamura disclose a plurality of first circuits (DenBoer’s Fig. 2: see one of the conductors 70 to each LED 40) electrically coupled to the controller (DenBoer’s Fig. 2 and par. 62: see 50) and a plurality of second circuits (DenBoer’s Fig. 2: see the other of the conductors 70 to each LED 40) that respectively correspond to the first circuits (DenBoer’s Fig. 2: correspondence by same LED 40), the LED dies are divided into a plurality of light emitting groups (DenBoer’s Fig. 2: see horizontal rows of 40 [four rows shown]) each having at least two of the LED dies (DenBoer’s Fig. 2: each horizontal row includes five LEDs).
DenBoer in view of Nakamura fail to disclose any one of the second circuits is connected to one of the LED dies of each of at least two of the light emitting groups.
However, in the same field of endeavor of LED devices with touch sensing, Lo discloses one of first circuits is connected to each of LED dies of one of light emitting groups (Lo’s Fig. 4: see cathode conductor for four LEDs in the same horizontal row), and any one of second circuits is connected to one of LED dies of each of at least two of the light emitting groups (Lo’s Fig. 4: see anode conductor for four LEDs in the a same vertical column, thus an anode conductor is connected to one of the LEDs of at least two rows).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to connect DenBoer in view of Nakamura’s LEDs in the manner described by Lo’s Fig. 14, in order to obtain the benefit of reducing manufacturing process (Lo’s par. 63).
By doing such combination, DenBoer in view of Nakamura and Lo disclose:
a plurality of first circuits (Lo’s Fig. 14: see cathode conductors to each LED 10 equivalent to one of the conductors 70 to each LED 40 in DenBoer’s Fig. 2) electrically coupled to the controller (Lo’s Fig. 14: see MCU 20 equivalent to 50 in DenBoer’s Fig. 2) and a plurality of second circuits (Lo’s Fig. 14: see anode conductors to each LED 10 equivalent to the other of the conductors 70 to each LED 40 in DenBoer’s Fig. 2) that respectively correspond to the first circuits (DenBoer’s Fig. 2)(Lo’s Fig. 14), the LED dies are divided into a plurality of light emitting groups (Lo’s Fig. 14: see horizontal rows of LEDs 10 equivalent to horizontal rows of 40 in DenBoer’s Fig. 2) each having at least two of the LED dies (DenBoer’s Fig. 2)(Lo’s Fig. 14), any one of the first circuits is connected to each of the LED dies of one of the light emitting groups (Lo’s Fig. 4: see cathode conductor for four LEDs in the same horizontal row), and any one of the second circuits is connected to one of the LED dies of each of at least two of the light emitting groups (Lo’s Fig. 4: see anode conductor for four LEDs in the a same vertical column, thus an anode conductor is connected to one of the LEDs of at least two rows).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 and 17-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Claims 7-8 and 17-18 were previously indicated as allowable.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 2/04/2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 1 and 11 under 102 in view of DenBoer have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of DenBoer and Nakamura. Please see above rejection for details on how the combination makes obvious the amended claims.
Conclusion
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/LILIANA CERULLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621